Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems 2021/04a Situation of wild ungulates in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Matthias Neumann1, Frank Tottewitz1

• While hunting bags are still very high in some areas of country, a decrease in hunting quotas has been observed in various areas. • For the period of the hunting years from 2014/15 to 2018/19, seven red deer and seven fallow deer focus areas were identified. • Roe deer and wild boar occur across the country. Their distribution in terms of hunting bags in the country is very heterogeneous. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, mouflon is only present in a few areas and in relatively small numbers.

Background and aims For decades, the hunting bags of wild ungulates red deer, fallow Results deer, mouflon, roe deer and wild boar have been increasing. A In the last 50 years, the hunting bags have more than trend that can be observed both in Mecklenburg-Western quadrupled. This is particularly evident in wild boars. Here the Pomerania and throughout in Germany. The adaptation of hunting quotas has increased by 6.6 times. The highest hunting wildlife stock to the habitat capacity and the reduction of game bag to date was achieved in the hunting year 2019/20 with damage in agriculture and forestry are legally fixed tasks for 181.439 harvested animals (Fig. 1). This is primarily due to the society as a whole, ensure sustainable hunting and the record hunting bag for wild boars this hunting year with almost acceptance of hunting activities. 100.000 animals. The aim of study is to carry out the shooting plans and their execution in a more targeted manner for the hunting Fig. 1. Development of the hunting bag of ungulates in Mecklenburg- communities on site taking into account the main hunting focus Western Pomerania (red = maximum in hunting year 2019/20) areas that have been periodically identified by the Thünen Institute since the late 1990s. 200.000 180.000 160.000 Method 140.000 The statistical evaluation and cartographic representation of 120.000 hunting quotas over several years gives an overview of areas in 100.000 80.000 hungting bag [n] bag hungting which wildlife species in low or higher densities or has been 60.000 hunted. 40.000 Data is based, on the amount of harvested animals provided by hunting and forest authorities.

We have presented the results as follows: Source: Thünen Institute.

• Hunting bag of red deer, fallow deer, mouflon, roe deer The share of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the total and wild boar in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania per hunting bag in Germany is also remarkable. Approximately square kilometre, in each case for the hunting districts of every fifth german fallow deer was shot in Mecklenburg- all forms of ownership within a local community. Western Pomerania in the last years. For wild boar and red deer, • To compensate for fluctuations in hunting bag, we use the the proportion was around 10%, for roe deer under 5% and for average of five hunting years 2014/15 to 2018/19. mouflon only around 3 to 4%. The proportion of Mecklenburg- • The hunting bag is given in [pieces = n = number of Western Pomerania of the german surface accounts approx. animals] or [pieces per square kilometre]. 6.5%. In Fig. 2 the average hunting bags of red deer in the hunting Local reduction of wildlife species densities can be seen as a districts of all types of ownership of the municipalities as well as success in the implementation of the hunting policy goals over the designated seven focus areas are shown. the past five to ten years.

Fig. 2. Red deer focus areas As a result of the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Germany in September 2020, the local evaluation of wild boar Wildschwerpunktgebiete in Durchschnitt der gemeldeten Jagdjahre (Jagdjahre 2014/15 - 2018/19) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern HG-frei hunting bags is particularly important. To this end, we analyzed - Gemeindeebene über alle Eigentumsformen - HG-frei data from the hunting year 2017/18 (Fig. 4). Wild boar occurs Rotwildstrecke [Stück pro 100 ha] Ferdinand von Raesfeld7 Rügen across the country. The amounts of harvested animals can be keine Strecke HG-frei < 0,50 Schuenhagen seen in a very heterogeneously distribution. The comparatively 0,50 - 0,99 Ferdinand von Raesfeld HG-frei 1,00 - 1,49 Nordöstliche Heide

Zinnowitz high hunting bags along the immediate border with neighboring 1,50 - 1,99 6 Grimmen Billenhägener Einstand HG-frei >= 2,00 HG-frei Bad Doberan Zwischen Peene und Ryck HG-Grenzen* Kronwald 5 Poland, are positive factors. In the current situation, preventing HG-frei Usedom Göldenitzer Einstand Gnoien Trebeltal HG-frei Neetzow HG-frei Neukloster Bützow ASF-virus introduction from spreading further in Germany has Augraben/Tollensetal Grevesmühlen Stolpe-Landskron

Güstrow Landgrabental Gülitz Golchen HG-frei Weiße Krug Ueckermünder Heide Treptower Werder Eggesin top priority. In addition to intensive cadaver sampling, the 2 HG-frei Gadebusch Grammentin HG-frei Krakow Friedland Kaarz-Jülchendorf 4 Rothemühl Basedower Forst Östlich der Randow reduction of wild boar populations in the country has central Nossentiner Heide Schwinzer Heide3 Burg Stagard Helpter Berge Penzlin HG-frei HG-frei Dreilützow Lewitz Warnowquelle importance. Östliches Müritzgebiet

Sandkrug Malchow-Röbel Luzin Boize-Schaale Hagenow Jasnitz Wilhelminenhof/ Zinow

Sonnenberg Boizenburg Mirower Heide Wittstocker Heide Strelitzer Heide Rögnitztal 1 Grabow Fig. 4. Hunting bag of wild boar in hunting year 2017/18

Wanzeberg

* Grenzen der Hegegemeinschaften: Organisationsstand 1.4.2006 - Veränderungen, z.B. im Bereich Grevesmühlen mussten unberücksichtigt bleiben. Schalenwildstrecken in Jagdjahr 2017/18 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Source: Thünen Institute. - Gemeindeebene über alle Eigentumsformen -

Schwarzwildstrecke 2017_18 Vorpommern-Rügen [Stück pro 100 ha] The designation as a focus area was based on exceeding of a < 2,00 2,00 - 3,99 4,00 - 5,99 Vorpommern-Rügen wildlife species-specific threshold value, which does justice to Rostock 6,00 - 7,99 the different demands on the habitat. This was determined for 8,00 - 9,99 >= 10,00 Vorpommern-Greifswald red deer with more than 0.5 hunted animals per square Landkreis Rostock

Vorpommern-Greifswald kilometre. Nordwestmecklenburg

Schwerin Mecklenburgische Seenplatte For fallow deer, we were also able to determine seven focus areas in the country (Fig. 3). The threshold value for designating Ludwigslust-Parchim a focus area was 1.0 hunted fallow deer per square kilometre.

Fig. 3. Fallow deer focus areas Source: Thünen Institute.

Durchschnitt der gemeldeten Jagdjahre Wildschwerpunktgebiete in (Jagdjahre 2014/15 - 2018/19) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern HG-frei

- Gemeindeebene über alle Eigentumsformen - HG-frei

Damwildstrecke 7 [Stück pro 100 ha] Ferdinand von Raesfeld Rügen We recommend that hunting communities analyze the data keine Strecke < 1,00 HG-frei from this study on an ongoing basis. The sex ratio in the hunting 1,00 - 1,99 Schuenhagen Ferdinand von Raesfeld HG-frei 2,00 - 2,99 Nordöstliche Heide bags and the age class distribution of animals, should also be 3,00 - 3,99 Grimmen Zinnowitz Billenhägener Einstand >= 4,00 HG-frei HG-frei Bad Doberan Zwischen Peene und Ryck 6 taken into account. The results of the project are intended to HG-Grenzen* Kronwald HG-frei Göldenitzer Einstand Gnoien Usedom Trebeltal HG-frei Neetzow HG-frei help the wildlife managers on site in their work Neukloster Bützow Augraben/Tollensetal Grevesmühlen Stolpe-Landskron

Güstrow Landgrabental Gülitz Golchen HG-frei Weiße Krug 5 Ueckermünder Heide Treptower Werder Eggesin HG-frei Gadebusch Grammentin HG-frei Krakow Friedland Kaarz-Jülchendorf Rothemühl Basedower Forst Östlich der Randow

Nossentiner Heide Schwinzer Heide 3 Burg Stagard Helpter Berge Penzlin HG-frei HG-frei Dreilützow Lewitz Warnowquelle Östliches Müritzgebiet

Sandkrug Malchow-Röbel Luzin Boize-Schaale1 Hagenow Jasnitz2 Wilhelminenhof/ Zinow Sonnenberg Boizenburg 4 Mirower Heide Wittstocker Heide Strelitzer Heide Rögnitztal Grabow

Wanzeberg

* Grenzen der Hegegemeinschaften: Organisationsstand 1.4.2006 - Veränderungen, z.B. im Bereich Grevesmühlen mussten unberücksichtigt bleiben.

Source: Thünen Institute.

Further Information

Contact Duration Client 1 Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems 07.2019-11.2020 Ministry of Agriculture and the [email protected] Environment Mecklenburg-Western Project-ID www.thuenen.de/wo Pomerania WO-2019-2102

DOI:10.3220/PB1611131106000